Bridging block for wells



April 18, 1933. B. H. DAVIS BRIDGING BLOCK FOR WELLS Filed Nov. 28. 1932 Patented Apr. 18, 1933i' i BnRNARn n.' Davis, lor "nunruvroN, CALIFORNIA .1

BRIneiNG Bilock 'FoR'WE'Lns' Appnaion aiea'novm'ber 28,1332. seriai'norefimaal f Y rlhis invention relates to ajwell drilling apparatus and more particularly has reference to an improved bridging block for wells and Y to means for positioning and locking same in position."l 1 y In performingV the 4usual cementing ol process in wells, bridgingblocks have previa ously been provided'for vbridging the casing at the-proper .point Yso that cement lmay be poured in on top of the block. These blocks have -been provided with various means" for locking them in place so as to prevent upward or downward movement of the block after ityhas been set. f One object of this invention isfto 4provide an improved means for loweringga bridging block into a'well f Y Another object is to provide animproved.vr

means for firmly and securely vlockingV a bridging block against downward movement after ithas been properly positioned in a well. n

Another object is to provide an improved means for expanding a bridging block after itis properly positioned in a wellcasing.

1 Other objects andadvantages' will become apparent from the followingldescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. Itis to be distinctly understood,

' 30 however, that the form shown and described isby way of illustration only for the pur-y pose of `insuring a complete understanding of this inventiom'and is'not to bev taken as in any way being a limitation upon its scope.

l The scope of this invention is to be limited only by fthe prior art and bythe terms ofthe appended claims. 'f

' Referring now to the accompanying draw- Y ing, in which like numerals indicate c orre- 40 sponding 4*parts throughout;y n y y Figure 1 is a view, partlyy in longitudinal section, showing the improved bridging block in contracted position inside a well cas- 1n *(Figure 2 is a rsimilar view showingthe block expanded and locked `in position.

lFigure 3is anelevatio'n showing the block alone in expandedposition; Y F'gure is a sectiontaken along the line of Figure 3.

Figure 5 isfa section' takenzalongtherliin 5 5 of Figurevgand i. L, i*

Figure 6 is a section taken Valongthe;line

6.-'-6 of Figure 3;

Referring 1 now more' specifically :to i the drawing this inventionis illustrated. as comprising two sections land 2 movably connected at .their upper'jends'by means offa flexible, "waterproof elementifwhich inthe o present instance'is inthe form. ofadisc of rubberized fabric. The-adj acent sides of the sections 1 and 2 are constructed to providea Wedgeshaped opening 4in which fawedge 5 is adapted to operate tospread or expand the sections 1 andQ ,fromA each other.' The'sec'- tions 1 and?. andthewedge. 5 are preferably ma'deof wood orvlikev material. f As shown, the-wedge 5 is provided with' a pair .Y of openings 6' flongitudinally thereof, lwhich 4are, Ldisposed tension coil i springs 7 secured attheir lower ends .to'rods 8 which arefin .turn'secured to thebottom or base of the wedge by s'crewsor other suitable means 9. -The v'upper yends ofl the spring extend from the wedge and are secured'at their upper ends to the flexiblev member 3l by .means suchfasbrackets10. When not otherwise prevented, the springs 7 will urge the wedge 5 'into' theopening-t between' the sections'so as to ei'rpand'the sections from each other. r

The 'flexible member 3 is providedlwith openingsSQ registeringvwith the openings 6 through the wedge, and flaps 40are secured as lat 141 `to form flap yvalvesclosing'these openings'. By virtue'ofthese valves, water 'and other vliquids in the well .may 'pass by the bridging block while itis beingzforced down intoposition, after whichthe "valvesl esk as at 14 to form a rectangular countersunk portion at a position opposite the lower por tion 11 of the opening through the wedge. The relative sizes of the opening 11 and the countersunk portion 14 are such that they are in communication with each other. A metal plate 15 having an opening` therein corresponding to' the opening. 11 is secured to the bottom'of the countersunk portion, and pivoted adjacent the oppositeupper corners of this plate as at 16 and 17 are a pair of dogs 18 and 19 having, teeth 2() prof.

jecting from their free ends and longitudinal slots 21 formed intermediate their ends.v These dogs extend diagonally across the rectangular countersunk portion as shown so that their slotted portions will overlie the opening 11. j

A rod 22 carrying the bracketA 23 at its lower endextends upward trom theV opening 11 through the small opening 12 into' the opening"1-).l The bracket 23- carries a pivot 24 -extending through the slots y 21, whereby anfup'ward Vor downward motion of the rod 22 will causel the dogs 18 and 19 to swing about their pivots 16 and 17 and cause their endscarrying the teeth 20 tol project out* ward beyond the sides of the wedge' orto be drawn `back within the opening 14;rv The upper end of the rod 22 is provided withv a nut 25 or other head formingmember, beneath which is disposed a compression coil spring 26ffor thepurposeof continuousl-y urging the rod 22' to its uppermost position.

When the bridging block is being placed inside of awell casing 27 the rod 22 is Aheld down against the action of the spring 26 by a mandril 28V which forms a part-of the positionin-g Amechanism and extends through a central opening 29 in the liexible member 3 and into the opening 13`in the wedge. This holding`A down of the rod 22 of course holds the dogs 18 and 19 down with the teeth 20 withdrawn into the countersunk portion 14 out of engagement :with the wall of the casing 27. At the same time, theclower'e'nd of theirod. 22 is pressed against .the bottom of the-opening 11 to force the wedge 5 downwardly so asto allow the sections 1 and y2 to come closer togetherv -I v f f On-theupper endsjof the sections 1 and 2 therey areA provided cross bars 30 soA positioned asrto receive the bell 'shaped disc 31 which ismounted on and liXed to themandril 28 at such position that it will'come in contact with the crossbars 30 Vwhen the mandril is far enough to retract the dogs 18 and 19 and shovethe wedge 5 down a predetermined amount.

Prei'erably, for the purpose of forcibly bringing the wedge 5 up between the sections 1.and `2 after the bridging block has been properly positioned, a pair of fine wires 32 are secured to the respective sides of the wedge bymean's such asthc screws 33. They are then passed upwardly and through holes 34 in the disc 31, after which they are wound around the mandril 28 as at 35.

At the upper end of the mandril 28 there is shown a threaded bushing 36 for the pur- 11.1

pose of engaging the threaded interior of the tubing 37. A nut 38 or other suitable means is provided at thefupper end of the mandril 28 to hold the mandril 28 in place in the bushing 36. p

It will be apparent from the above decription thatthebridging block is pushed or driven into position in the casing 27 by means ofthe tubing 37, the mandril 28 and the disc 31. The tubing 37 is forced downwardly causing they mandril to push the rod 22 down against the compression of the spring 26- thus retracting the toothed ends of the dogsf18 and 19 and at the same time forcing the wedge downwardly with respect to the sections .1

and 2allowi'ng them to draw closer together. At thesame time, the disc 3-1 is forcedagainst the crossv bars 30 to cause the sectionsV 1 and 2 to mjove Adownwardly until their proper position is reached.V v

Then this position is reached, the tubing, bushing, mandriland disc are then drawnup allowing .the spring 26 to-raise the rod 22 and expand the dogs 18 and 19 so as to engage the .teethA 2O with the walls ofthe casing 27. l

At the: same time, with the rod22 lifted from the bottom of the opening 11 in the wedge, the springs 7 are allowed to draw thel wedge up between the sections 1 and 2 toV expand them from each other and cause them to engage the walls of the casing 27. In order to more firmly seat the wedge between the sections 1 and 2, continued upward movement of the tubing 37 and Vthe parts attached thereto will draw the wires 32 tight and they will draw thev wedge up so thatit will seat more firmly. The'dogs 18 and 19 will prevent the wedge from moving downwardly again. Further upward movement will break the wires, atterwhich the positioning assembly may be `withdrawn tromthe Vwell to per-L mit the pouringv of cement on top'of the bridging block as hereinbefore set forth.

As will readilyV appear 'from the above 'description, meanshas been described for l" upwardly to force said sections to expanded position `and lool; them withina wellvcasing, means on the wedge to normally engage-the walls of the well casing and prevent downward movement of the wedge with respect to the casing, and means to holdsaidjfirst men-` f tioned means out of engagement with the walls of the casing during the positioning of the bridging block.

2. In a bridging block for wells, a body comprising two sections movable to occupy expanded and contracted positions, a wedge between the sections with its apex disposed upwardly to force said sections to expanded position and lock them within a well casing, a locking dog on the wedge to normally engage the wall of the well casing and prevent downward movement of the wedge with respect to the'casing, and means to hold said dog out of engagement with the wall of the casing during the positioning of the bridging block. v

3. In a bridging block for wells, a body comprising two sections movable to occupy expanded and contracted positions, a wedge between the sections with its apex disposed upwardly to force said sections to expanded position and look them within a well casing, means betweenthe wedge and the sections to normally force the wedge upward to expand the sections, means on the wedge to normally engage the walls of the wellrcasing and prevent downward movement of the wedge with respect to the casing, and means to hold the wedge in its downward position with respect to said two sections, and simultaneously-to hold saidsecond mentioned means out of engagement with the walls of the casing during the positioning of the bridging block within the well casing.

4. In a bridging block for wells, a body comprising two sections movable to occupy expanded and contracted positions, a wedge between the sections with its apex disposed upwardly to force said sections to expanded position and lock them within a well casing, means between said wedge and said two sections to normally force the wedge upwardly between the sections to expand them against the well casing, means to hold said wedge in a downward position with respect to said'two sections while positioning the bridging block within a casing, and a disc on said last mentioned means for engaging said two sections to force them into position within the casing.

5. In a bridging block for wells, a body comprising two sections movable to occupy expanded and contracted positions, a wedge between the sections with its apex disposed upwardly to force said sections to expanded position and lock them within a well casing, means between the wedge and said two sections to normally force said wedge between said sections to expand them against the walls of the well casing, a rod extending between said sections and engaging said wedge to force the same downwardly and allow said two sections to moveto contracted position during the positioning of the bridging block within the well, and a disc member mounted on said rod above said sections and adapted to engage said sections when said wedge is a positioning means for said bridging blockV comprising a mandril extending between said two sections and forcing said wedgel downwardly to allow the sections to move to contracted position, a positioning disc member mounted on said mandril above said sections to engage said sections when said wedge is moved downwardly to allow said sections to move to their contracted positions, and a threaded bushing mounted on said mandril above said disc member and adapted to be threadedly engaged by a section of tubing for the purpose of operating'said positioning vHIM-321,113.

7. In a bridging block for wells,v a` body comprising two sections movable to occupy expanded and contracted positions, a wedge between the sections with its apex disposed upwardly to force said sections to expanded position and lock them within a well casing, means to force said wedge downwardly and allow said sections to move to contracted position during the positioning of the bridging block within the well, means for positioning the bridging block within the well, and a pair of frangible members secured to said positioning member and to opposite sides of said wedge member, whereby said wedge member may be pulled upwardly and into position between said two sections and firmly set therebetween by a short upward movement of the positioning means, and said positioning means afterward withdrawn vfrom the well by fracturing said frangible members.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature l hereto. i BERNARD H. DAVIS. 

